“BJ, I do rest.”
“When?” She quizzed giving me that look like I better not lie.
“When I sleep.”
“That ain’t rest, that’s being unconscious.”
I laughed because there was no point arguing with her. She had already made up her mind, and she treated her opinions like facts everybody else needed to accept.
She looked toward the clock above the pantry and gasped. “Lord, I’m late.”
“You been late.”
“Then why you standing there talking?”
I frowned. “You the one asked me about Marv.”
“And you answered.” She picked up her purse, adjusted it on her shoulder, then glanced at herself in the reflection from the microwave door. “I’m going to see him tomorrow.”
“I’ll take you if you need me too. You the only person in the world I don’t mind moving some stuff around for.”
“I got a car Lev. Remember, your brother bought it.”
I thought about Cev for a second remembering I needed to call him back. He was serving time and he still had everything people on the outside had. If he got one burner discovered, he would get another one. He was a year younger than me and it was long overdue for him to come home.
“I know you got a car.” I told her.
“And I know how to drive it.”
“I know that too.”
“Then why you acting like I need an escort?”
“Because I said I’ll take you. Damn, you don’t want your grandson to be cater to his grandma?”
She looked over at me for a second before smiling to herself. “Alright then, come get me after church.”
“I got you.”
She reached for her bingo bag and started toward the front door, moving faster now that since she was truly behind schedule now. I grabbed the plate and followed her through the house with my plate in my hand.
When we made it outside, she stopped beside her Cadillac and looked back at me. “And Lev.”
“Yeah?”
“You keep that boy out of trouble.”
I let out a quiet laugh and leaned against the side of her car. “Grandma, Marv grown.”
“So are you.”
“What that got to do with anything?”
“It means being grown ain’t stopped either one of y’all from doing foolishness.”
I rubbed my beard and looked toward the driveway because she had me there, and she knew it. Barbara Jean stepped closer and fixed the collar of my shirt even though nothing was wrong with it. “He listens to you,” she said, quieter this time. “Maybe not all the time, but he listens. Don’t let him get out that hospital and run right back into whatever put him there.”
“I’m already on it.”
